If I tell you you have to have drive more than 8,000 miles in a car, what’s the first thing you think about that car? Is it comfortable, right?

If I tell you you have to have drive more than 8,000 miles in a car, do wonder how much gas is going to cost you?

If I tell you you’re going to spend a month in your car, do you consider if the car is big enough to hold everything you need for that amount of time.

When I bought my second generation Prius in 2005 I had many of these same considerations. I was looking at starting a new job that had me based in a nearby state and driving all through that state. And then coming back to Pennsylvania as often as I could. So fuel economy and comfort were two of my main concerns. Even though that job went buns up before I actually took delivery of the car it was a decision I’ve never regretted.

Visiting the falls in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

So when, in early 2009, I was suddenly confronted with an opportunity to be one of the people to get one of the new, third generation Priuses, I was elated, and, well, confused. We only had about 35,000 miles on the 2005 Prius. From most perspectives it was difficult to tell the difference between ours and a brand new one. My wife and loved the car. It did everything we wanted it to as our family vehicle. It hauled firewood., groceries and dogs (three of them). It made the regular 180 mile run to Baltimore-Washington International with superlative MPG (we typically got MPG’s in the low to mid 60’s). Why get a new one?

Well, at the time my wife had her own vehicle (an Audi TT Quattro Turbo) but we lived in a small, urban environment and it was the exceptional that she put more than twelve miles on her car in a given week. We walked to most of the things we did. But in our family, my wife is the car geek. So we talked about becoming a one car family. Get rid of the her Audio and keep the Prius. Or, as she suggested, trade-in our second generation 2005 on a spiffy new 2010.

So that’s we did.

We’ve had the 2010 Prius since June of 2009. In that time we’ve taken it on the 8,000 mile Summer Drive Thru last year and done all of the other lowly task a “family car” is supposed to do. We can stuff lots of adults in to go out for an evening. Like the 2005 Prius, we can stuff it full of firewood, groceries and yes, dogs. In that time we’ve yet to be disappointed by the car.

Did I mention it’s comfortable? The heated leather seats in the 2010 served us well on those 38 degree mornings in Yellowstone and they work just as well here in Pennsylvania (where it was 17 this morning). In the summer, the solar powered pass-through ventilation that kept the car cool in the deserts of California, Arizona and New Mexico, work just as well during the hot and humid months here.

An interior shots of the 2010 Prius as we drive through the southeastern deserts of Oregon

Those leather seats never let us down providing us with a comfortable place to sit whether we were driving 500 miles over the continental divide or on a quick trip to the drug store. The redesigned seats in the 2010 are wonderful. No qualifications, no reservations.

We love the sunroof in the 2010. It’s an option we didn’t have in the 2005 and it’s just marvelous. Being able to slide the glass roof back and enjoy the real air is a pleasure we revel in. I think it helps further connect the vehicle to surrounding area and since the Prius is so quiet, the loudest thing is usually that air rushing over the roof of the Prius.

This third generation Prius is, in many ways, a very different car than the second generation vehicle was. There is a fanatic attention to detail that is even more in evidence in this generation. The interior layout is more ergonomic and stylish. I think Toyota designers felt as though they could let loose a little more. The unique shape is still there but it has flourishes, much like the interior, that seem daring in comparison to the second generation Prius.

Running this web site and priusownersgroup.com as long as I have, I get this question, perhaps more than any other, “Is the Prius right for me?” My answer is always, maybe. It’s an amazing vehicle. It’s a vehicle that has extraordinary value for price. The Prius’ performance both ecologically and in just pure driving terms is wonderful. Rather than try to answer their question directly I always recount my experiences with my Prii. I tell them why I love the car and can’t imagine driving something else. And usually, the next email I get tells me how happy they are with their own Prius.

Parked on the edge of a cliff in Badlands National Park, South Dakota.

For me, one of the most appealing aspects of Prius is the geek factor. I love things like the nav, the backup camera, the automated solar cooling system. I love how seamlessly those features perform. So one area I’ve been critical of the Prius has been electronics. While the Prius is one of the most advanced vehicles on the road electronically, it’s also behind the times in some areas. iPod integration, not just an AUX input, but true integration has been a sticking point. Why has there been a USB charging port built into Prius rather than the archaic (however admittedly universal) 12 volt lighter plug? These are all on my wish list for upcoming Prius models.

One reason why competition is good is that it pushes companies to do more. With SYNC, Ford is pushing Toyota hard, real hard. SYNC offers voice control over many of the vehicle functions as well as an ever growing set of media and internet functions. I don’t know that I need voice activation for the climate system in the Prius but it would be nice to see that iPod integration put into the built-in touch screen panel.

You read this and it’s hard to believe we were there only five months ago:

Exhaled breath creates a steam cloud in front of the face that lingers and then drifts away in the windless air. Gradually it evaporates and disappears. The frigid air is a wakeup call to the senses. Stepping out into the winter landscape at Snow Lodge in Yellowstone National Park is an incredible experience.

But it was only five months and we’ve been eager to get back there since, well, about the time we drove out of the park. If you have the time this summer (since the vast majority of visitors only go during the summer months), make a point to get to Yellowstone and see one of this nation’s greatest treasures.